My Birth Story: The Birth of Kensington “Our Love Child”

I’ll never forget when I found out I was pregnant with Kensington. It was the day before New Year's Eve, and I was packing for a two week getaway with Sean. I realized my period was late and asked Sean to drive to the drug store for a pregnancy test.

I took the test... and boom!

Within seconds I discovered I was pregnant!

Sean and I were in absolute shock — it was the best and biggest surprise of our lives together.

We weren’t trying to get pregnant, and at the same time, we weren’t not trying to get pregnant. We simply were leaving our future family to fate and excited for whatever the universe decided to bring.

I called my doctor and immediately went in for a blood test to confirm I was actually pregnant.

Yep! It was true. I was officially pregnant, and already six weeks along. Vacation canceled!

My pregnancy wasn’t a typical pregnancy. From the moment I found out, I was considered high risk because I have an inherited blood clotting disorder called Factor V Leiden.

Every single day, my incredibly supportive husband would inject a blood thinner called Lovenox into my stomach to prevent any clotting. It was painful, but it didn’t matter to me. I knew that my baby was being kept safe every time I received an injection.

Thankfully, I had two of the most amazing doctors watching over me — my obstetrician Dr. Karamardian and perinatologist Dr. Kurtzman. They helped me make sense of my health and what I needed to do to make sure things went smoothly.

I absolutely loved being pregnant! It was fascinating watching my body change and my belly grow. It was breathtaking to feel this little life inside of me — something the love of my life and I created together.

Every time we went to have an ultrasound, it was refreshing and so reassuring to see that everything was progressing properly. When I would hear her heartbeat and see her inside my belly, I would cry my eyes out. It was such a miracle and blessing.

Officially 38.5 weeks into my pregnancy, I went into labor with my baby girl. My mother and Sean were by my side in the delivery room — with my mother-in-law and dad in the waiting room.

I labored all day and into the night.

While I was pushing, my mother passed out at one point and had to be seated in a chair. She told me afterward how hard it was to watch her baby have a baby. This is something I completely understand now that I’m a mother myself. Sean, my rock, never left my side.

Kensington was officially born after 18 hours of labor. It was 5:47am on August 16th, 2016.

I felt like superwoman after I pushed Kensington out. I try to describe the feeling to family and friends, but I was on such a “love high.” I was so proud of what my body could do, and I got the greatest reward after working harder than I’ve ever worked physically in my life.

Dr. Karamardian made my labor and birthing experience perfect. She saw to it that everything went smoothly. She is such a professional.

Sean cut the cord, and they immediately put Kensington on my chest!

We locked eyes. It was a mutual recognition, I think, of “I’m going to love you forever.” Kensington and I were immediately connected.

Sean and I created this perfect little angel out of pure love. I fell in love even more with Sean at that moment. He gave me the greatest gift in life. I still call her “our love child” because she was truly created out of such love and intimacy.

It’s safe to say that I was never the same again after this experience. Every day I wake up, I feel so lucky to see Kensington turning into such an incredible little girl, learning and experiencing the wonders of the world.